11 Plus Exams Forum

My DD was offered a place by a local grammar which is our second preference. She received a reasonable scholarship from a local indie so we declined the grammar. My DD is very clever but needs a bit of push for her studies. Local indie we accepted is a not a super selective. Every year students enter to leading Universities but do not beat the league tables. Some people have a different opinion about the school says school performance is not good.

I am still in two mind whether I did the right thing to my DD or not. We put her name to the waiting list of our first preference school. It is another local grammar. Not a super selective. LA says with previous years experience it is likely she will get a place from the waiting list. I feel still undecided. Any comments please?

Ive pondered over this dilemma if ever we were lucky enough to have these fantastic options. I would always
choose a free grammar school place over an independent school. You would never have to then worry about fees assisted or not. Scholarships and bursaries may change year to year and of course be subject to in depth financial disclosures which can too change. Id rather not have this worry and any extras that the indie may be offering by way of sports, music etc could be enhanced out of school hours. Any way most grammar schools have excellent facilities which is why we all clammer to get our dc there in the first place. Use the money to go on nice holidays or whatever else you like to do.

Take the money out of equation. Which school would you choose if they were both grammars or more both indies?

neveragainmum wrote:Ive pondered over this dilemma if ever we were lucky enough to have these fantastic options. I would always
choose a free grammar school place over an independent school. You would never have to then worry about fees assisted or not. Scholarships and bursaries may change year to year and of course be subject to in depth financial disclosures which can too change. Id rather not have this worry and any extras that the indie may be offering by way of sports, music etc could be enhanced out of school hours. Any way most grammar schools have excellent facilities which is why we all clammer to get our dc there in the first place. Use the money to go on nice holidays or whatever else you like to do.

But the indie might offer a more nurturing environment which might suit the DC of the OP. You can only decide per child of course, and the free option (if both options exist) isn't always automatically the best for the child.

Obviously we don't know which schools you are choosing between, but don't asume a grammar has great facilities.... my experience ( not Bexley though) is the opposite. My DS couldn't believe how much better the local comp's facilities are compared to his high ranking Kent grammar when we were looking at sixth forms last term. Also my DD has been raving about the wonderful prospect of new toilets coming to Newstead.

Billie wrote:Obviously we don't know which schools you are choosing between, but don't asume a grammar has great facilities.... my experience ( not Bexley though) is the opposite. My DS couldn't believe how much better the local comp's facilities are compared to his high ranking Kent grammar when we were looking at sixth forms last term. Also my DD has been raving about the wonderful prospect of new toilets coming to Newstead.

There are so many things to consider aren't there, over and above just the free vs not free, assuming as I say that you think you can find the money somewhere.....

Dear Parents,

Thanks for the comments. As Billie says I also had the same impression when I visited school open days. I had an opportunity to visit some boys only schools as well because to keep the company to my friend. I think there are ( high degree of resources and facilities issues specially in grammar schools due to high demand. I totally agree there are comprehensives in Bexley and Bromley with amazing results.

Also I came across in this stage of information search whatever the school it is, there is a vital role the private tutors play regarding student performances.

A teacher from a grammar school told me that the government gives less funding to Grammar schools than Comprehensives. This is because the government thinks that Grammar schools already have an advantage in selecting the better students hence more fundings are given to the Comprehensives to support them (e.g. those with SEN, etc.).

That is rubbish - schools are funded by pupil numbers!

Additional funding for SEN is made and Pupil premium but the 'basic' funding formula in a local authority is identical.

Pupil premium is a significant amount of money in some schools. That could be what is being 'talked' about regarding funding. Grammars, sadly, have fewer pupil premium children. There is also the problem of parents not letting the school know that they are eligible for pupil premium.

Schools are judged on a variety of categories and as there is significant funding for pupil premium, this is a significant factor in how schools are judged.